Truck-bolster.



Putentm'rd June 18, 1918.

Cr F. HUNTOON.

TRUCK HOLSTER.

APPLlcAmN FILED SEPT.8.1917.

CHARLES F. HUNTOON, 0]? CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRUCK-BOLSTER.

medew.

To all 'whom t may concern."

Be it known that l, CHARLEs F. HUN- TooN, Aa citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Truck-Bolsters, of which the following is a specification. 4

This invention relates to improvements in truck bolsters of the type described in Patent No. 1,210,478, granted January 2, 1917.

The objects of the invention are to provide improvements in truck holsters enabling quicker and more convenient assembly thereof; to provide an arrangement of the bolsterpermitting replacement or removal of the-king-post or truss block for repairs with-out disturbing the end connections of the main truss members; and to provide means for at any time increasing the rigidity of thebolster, if any play or looseness should develop therein during its use.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved truck bolster, one-half of the same being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the bolster.

F ig. 3 is a sectional detail taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the tightening blocks or wedges.

The invention comprises mainly the incorporation of an inclined block or blocks between the strut of the bolster and, preferably, the tension member, so that the strut may be freely inserted in the bolster before the inclined blocks or wedges are applied, and then the latter may be forced in place, making the entire structure rigid and under some tension.

The drawings show a truck bolster which as described in the patent mentioned herein comprises a compression member 1, in the form of a channel bar having a horizontally disposed web 2 and depending marginal flanges 3, and provided at its medial part with a center bearing 4 and near each end thereof with side bearings 5.

A fiat strap-like tension member 6, having its medial portion held in spaced relation to the compression member l by a truss block or strut 7, is bent at such medialy part Specicaton of Letters Patent. Patmmtgdl Jun@ 31%, :N jlq, Application led September 8, 1917.

Serial No. 190,365u

so that its end portions meet the respective end portions of the web 2 of the compression member 1. The members have their ends secured together by suitable means such as rivets 8, and the end portions of the compression member 1 are bent upward in the general direction of the end portions of the tension member 6 which are in aline ment with their adjacent body portions.

The end portions of the tension member are upset or otherwise thickened so that there is no reduction of area on account of the rivet holes, and the extreme ends of the tension member 6 are provided with upstanding and laterally extending shoulders 9 adapted to overlap and abut against the ends of the web and flanges of the compression member 1.

Means are provided for strengthening and reinforcing the shoulders 9 and comprise ribs l0 disposed longitudinally of and on the upper surface of the tension member 6, the web of the compression member being recessed to receive these ribs.

lThe present improvements relate to the specific structure of the strut or truss block f7 and the wedge blocks 11. The base of the truss block 7 is inclined inwardly and downwardly from its sides to its center, as shown in Fig. 3, thus providing inclined surfaces 18 for cooperating with the inclined surfaces 12 of the wedge blocks l1. Before the wedge blocks are inserted in the structure, considerable space is provided between the base of the truss block and the tension member 6. Accordingly, after the tension and compression members are riveted together at their ends, the strut 7 may be without diliiculty inserted between the tension yand compression members and secured to the latter.

Finally, the blocks 11 are placed in the structure and either by riveting or by means of a bolt 14 are drawn together and wedged between the inclined base of the strut 7 and the upper surface of the tension member 6. The strut and the wedge blocks 11 are preferably so proportioned that after the assembly of the structure, there is little or no space between the inner ends of the wedge blocks. y

1f, after considerable use of the bolster, play should develop in the structure, the wedge blocks may be utilized to take up such play, either by forcing the blocks toward each other, or replacing the blocks with new ones.. As shown in the drawings, the wedge blocks 11 are provided with an upstanding flange on three sides thereof for the purpose of surrounding the truss member and preventing lateral displacement of the blocks.

It may be seen Jfrom the foregoing that the invention enables a reduction in the time required for assembling truck holsters, since it is unnecessary to force apart the compression and tension members in order to insert the truss member, and likewise, means are afforded for imparting the desired rigidit)7 to the entire bolster.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following cl-aims.

I claim:

l. A'bolster for railway cars, comprising compression and tension members secured together at their ends, a truss block between said members, said truss block being formed to be removable from between the compression and tension members without disturb'- ing the end connections between said members, and a wedge block inserted between one end of the truss bleek and the tension member.

2. A bolster for railway cars, comprising a tension member, a compression member, said tension and compression members being secured together at their ends, a truss block located between said members, said truss block being formed to be removable from between the tension and compression members without disturbing the end connections between said members, one end of said truss block being inclined, and a wedge-shaped block located between said inclined end of the truss block and one of said members.

3. A bolster for railway cars, comprising a tension member, a compression member, said members being secured together at their ends, a. truss block located between said members, said truss block being formed to be re* movable from between said members without disturbing their end connections, one end of said truss block being inclined, a wedgeshaped block located between said inclined end of the truss block and one of said members, and means for retaining said block snugly against the inclined suriace of the truss bloclr.

4l. A bolster for railway cars, comprising tension and compression members secured together at their ends, a truss block centrally located between said tension and compression members, one end of said truss block being inclined inwardly from its sides and a pair of wedge blocks being located bctween the inclined surfaces of said truss block and one of said members.

Signed at Chicago this 4th day of Sept., 1917.

CHARLES F. HUNTOON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained 4for lfive cents each, by addressing` the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. C. 

